Unofficial results from Columbia Falls School District’s Tuesday trustee election are in.

Results were released shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday by Columbia Falls School District Clerk Dustin Zuffelato, who noted “higher than usual” participation for the mail ballot trustee election, which had a 25% voter turnout. There were 8,419 ballots mailed with 2,140 returned.

Incumbents Dean Chisholm and Barbara Riley will remain on the school board with 1,647 and 1,531 votes, respectively. Both will serve three-year terms.

Candidates Keri Hill received 1,525 votes and David Shaffer, 1,166.

Following is a list of trustees who will be seated by acclamation in school districts where elections were canceled due to the number of candidates being equal to or less than the number of openings on a board:

Creston — Incumbent Arnold Bjork, three-year term; Barry Farrell, two-year term; and Nevada Hafer, three-year term.

Deer Park — Gary Anderson and Cindy Barnes, both three-year terms; and Annelies Pedersen, two-year term. All are incumbents. One seat remains open. The district will appoint someone to the one-year vacancy.

Smith Valley — Incumbent Josh Amundson, three-year term.

Somers-Lakeside — Incumbents Meredith Coopman, three-year term, and Jesica Swanson, one-year term. Andrea Aiken and Andrew Wendle will fill two new seats on the board and draw lots to determine if the duration of their term will be two or three years. The two new seats were added due to population growth, brining the board from five to seven trustees.

Swan River — Incumbents Brooke Johnston and Dan Elwell, three-year terms.

Helena Flats — Patience Burns, two-year term; and incumbents Keith Nelson and Jaclynne Magers, both three-year terms.

Kila — Amanda Chin three-year term and Sean Keller, both three-year terms, and Logan Bench, one-year term. All are incumbents.

Olney-Bissell — Incumbent Gregory Zuckert, three-year term.

West Valley —Incumbent Tad Lisowski, three-year term.

Whitefish — Jerrie Boksich, and incumbents Shannon Hanson and Katie Clarke, all three-year terms.

A complete list of unofficial results from contested trustee races in Flathead County reported on Tuesday night is available at https://bit.ly/3caAFxh.

IN LAKE County, voters in Ronan and Charlo school districts elected school board members on Tuesday.

According to unofficial results from the Lake County Election Office, Daniel Cahoon, La Donna Fryberger and Graydon Cross were elected to serve as trustees on the Charlo School Board. Cahoon received the most votes with 279, followed by Fryberger with 181 and Cross with 161. Others receiving votes were Terrance Rosenbaum with 142 and Kim Detert with 130.

374 ballots were cast in the election.

In Ronan, Rich Janssen and Robert Cornwell were selected to serve as school board trustees. Janssen tallied 663 votes, followed by Cornwell’s 499. Maggie Winter-Sydnor picked up 322 votes.

A total of 1,010 ballots were cast in the election.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].